Being a goalkeeper is the loneliest job in football, so they say.
And, in light of the strange scenario that has left passionate Matildas fans unable to buy Aussie goalie Mackenzie Arnold’s number 18 jersey, you might as well get “neglected” in there too.
Arnold’s penalty shootout heroics enshrined her in Aussie sporting folklore but friends, family and young fans can’t show their love by snapping up a replica Arnold jersey.
Turns out, it’s a goalkeeper thing.
Fans can buy replica jerseys with the names and numbers for every single Matildas player in the World Cup squad except for the three keepers – Arnold, Teagan Micah and Lydia Williams.
And, equally bizarrely, it’s not just a Matildas thing.
Nike and Adidas, the two biggest kit manufacturers in women’s football, have chosen to not make any goalkeeper jerseys available for sale for the women’s World Cup.
When asked about the discrepancy, a Nike spokesperson told 9news.com.au the sportswear giant works with FIFA and the individual federations “to determine what assortment and particular player jerseys go on sale based on several factors, including demand in some markets”.
A petition highlighting the glaring issue, and demanding a “rethink” on the divisive decision, has garnered almost 40,000 signatures.
“As a dad to a young female goalkeeper, what message is this sending to kids about playing in that position?” one user posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
“The goalies are just as valuable as anyone else on the team,” another person wrote using the hashtag #selltheirshirts, adding: “I want a goalkeeper jersey!”
Millions of Aussies were in Arnold’s corner on Saturday night, as she made three clutch saves in the shootout and even took a spot-kick which could have sealed the win over France but missed.
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It didn’t matter though, as Australia advanced and will now meet England in one semi-final, a game which pits Arnold against English stopper Mary Earps, who has been asking Nike about the lack of her own replica goalkeeper kit for months.
Earps has called Nike’s failure to offer her jersey for sale as “hugely disappointing and very hurtful”.
She told The Guardian she has been “fighting behind closed doors” and “desperately trying to find a solution” with England’s governing body, the Football Association, and Nike.
When England triumphed in the European Championships last year, Earps’ replica kit was not available.
“On a personal level, it is hugely hurtful,” she said.
In response to that story, Nike Pacific boss Ashley Reade told 9news.com.au that demand for Matildas jerseys has been “unprecedented”.
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“In fact, there were more jerseys sold before a ball was even kicked in this year’s tournament than were sold pre, during, and post the 2022 men’s tournament,” he said.
He called it a “true testament to the power and excitement” surrounding the women’s game and underlined the impact the Matildas were having on fans of all ages.
Australia faces England at what will be a sold-out Stadium Australia on Wednesday night at 8pm.
9news.com.au has contacted Adidas for comment.
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